Top securing means for furniture



J. R. JONES I TOP SECURING MEANS FOR FURNITURE Feb. 15, 1.949.

Filed Aug. 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hill INVENTOR. 4'7Z7/Z65 JZ (Ziforrrgs.

Feb 15, 1949. J. JONES TOP SECURING MEANS FOR FURNITURE.

2 Sheets-sheaf 2 I Filed Aug. 29, i946 INVENTOR. fa/716$ E 15, 9

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Patented Feb. 15, 1949 TOP SECURING MEANS FOR FURNITURE James R. Jones, Lakewood, N. Y., assignor to Art Metal Construction Company, Jamestown,

Application August 29, 1946, Serial No. 693,745

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for securing in place the tops of desks or analogous articles of furniture, and more particularly to means for attaching metal desk tops on the pedestals or body structures of metal desks. Such metal desk tops commonly comprise a plate of sheet metal covered by linoleum-or other sheet covering material and made with downbent marginal portions which provide relatively deep side and end edge faces on the top and have inturned horizontal flanges at their bottom edges by which the desk top is secured on the pedestals or body structure. Heretofore in-this type of desk assemblytthe top has been secured on the pedestals or body structure by means of numerous screws or bolts and nuts which add materially to the cost, time and labor of securing the tops in place or completing the assembly.

.One object of the invention is to provide improved means for attaching'or securing the top firmly and rigidly in place on the pedestals or body structure of the desk or article of furniture, and which expedites the work and saves cost and 1abor in completing the assembly.

Further object and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification of the preferred embodiment'of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and the novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

- In said drawings: Fig. l is a perspective view of a desk pedestal or body assembly or unit without the top, and having the attaching bars or' members of top attaching means embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional plan view on a larger scale, of the desk with the top secured in place by attaching means embodying the invention, the section being taken with the top cover sheet omitted. v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional elevation of the desk on a still larger scale on line 3-3, Fig 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional elevation thereof on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of one of the drive-in or slide fastener elements of the securing means.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, It! represents the pedestals at the opposite ends of the desk which house or contain the desk drawers or compartments and which are separated by the usual knee space. These pedestals may be of usual or any suitable construction and, as shown, are connected at theirrear ends by the usual rear panelor plate I l which extends across and forms a wall closing the rear end of the knee space. The desk top l2,as usual, extends over and covers the two pedestals and is secured on the tops thereof as presently explained. v

The desk top, as shown, may be of ordinary construction, comprising a top plate of sheet metal l3 having downwardly bent marginal portions i l forming the relatively deep side and end edge faces of the desk top and having at their lower edges horizontal or inwardly extending stiffening and attaching flanges l5 adapted to rest on and be secured to the pedestals or body structure of the desk. I6 indicates the usual top covering of linoleum or other sheet material which may be cemented on the outer or upper surface of the top plate l3, including its downturned marginal portions Hi, when these are of the rounded formation shown, and, indicates the angle-shaped finishing or iacia strip or strips which, as usual, overlap and provide an edge binding or protection for the cover sheet and may be secured in place by their bottom flanges which extend inwardly beneath the inturned edge flanges 15 of the top plate.

.flanges, such as 15, is secured on top of the pedestals or body structure of the desk, preferably as follows: Fixed on top of and extending lengthwise of the desk, preferably adjacent the rear ends of the pedestals, are rear attaching bars or members l8 for the top, and fixed on the tops of the pedestals adjacent their front ends, just in rear of and parallel with the inwardly extending front edge flange iii of the top is a front at taching bar or member is for the top. Preferably, as shown, two rear attaching bars l8 are provided, one on each pedestal, and a single front attaching bar [9 is employed which extends continuously across the tops of the pedestals substantially from end to end of the desk and bridges the knee space between the pedestals, being rigidly secured to both pedestals. Instead of the two separate rear attaching bars 18, a single continuous bar extending across the pedestals from one to the other could be used, but the long continuous rear bar is not necessary. These attaching bars l8 and [9 can be fixed in place on the top of the pedestals by screws or bolts it or in any other suitable'manner. I9 is preferably of channel shape in cross section arranged with its opposite flanges extending upwardly from its connecting web portion and con- The front attaching bar 3 stitutes a strong, rigid connection for the pedestals adjacent their front ends for holding the front portions of the pedestals rigidly in their intended spaced parallel relation.

Each of the rear attaching bars 18 is preferably of the substantially Z cross sectional shape shown, having a rear portion 2| which is spaced upwardly from the top-face of the pedestal sufficiently to provide a seat to receive and: tightly fit the edge flange of the top and the underlying bottom flange of the finishing strip H. In, securing the top in place on the, pedestals, the

inwardly projecting flanges l5 and ll'at' the rear of the top are inserted between thepcdestal tops and said ofiset portion of the attaching barsv I8 and the top pulled forwardly to firmly hold the flanges l5 and H in the seats-formed by the at,- taching bars I8, and the front edge of the top is then lowered onto the top of the pedestals in front of the front attaching bar l9 and is secured in place by slide fasteners 22; which are driven through slots 23 inthe opposite flanges, of attaching bar iii into holding engagement with the upper face of front edge flange iii of the desk top. When placing the'top in position, these fasteners 22 will be in rearward or retracted positions in the bar [9, so that the front flange of the top will pass by front ends of the fasteners when lowering the front edge of the top to its seat against the tops of the pedestals,

and the fasteners 22 arethen driven forwardly into engagement with the front flange of the top. Preferably these fasteners are bowed upwardly slightly between their ends and are providedwith slightly upturned or bevelled front ends 24 which, in driving the fasteners home, ride up over the edge of the top flange 15, there,-

by springing or deflecting the front ends of the fasteners upwardly somewhat, owing to the fact that the combined thickness of the flanges l5 and ll of the desk top is somewhat, greater than the thickness of the web of the channel bar i9. Thus, the front ends of the fasteners act to frictionally engage and press downwardly on the top flange l5 and force the front edge portion of the desk top downwardly to a firm seat against the top of the pedestals. Also preferably each fastener 22 is provided in its underside'with a shallow depression or recess 25 into which a tongue 26 punched upwardly fro-m the web of the channel bar i9 is adapted to engage for preventing accidental disengagement of the fastener from the channel bars !8 and opposing movement of the fastener out of holding engagement with the flange of the top. If necessary, however, for removing the top for any purpose, the fasteners can be forced rearwardly past the retaining tongues 26 out of engagement with the flange of the top, as for instance, by means of a suitable tool engaged in a hole 2! in the rear endof each fastener 22.

The fasteners 22 are required only at the. one

or front edge of the top, and can be quickly and easily driven into holding engagement with the top and thus greatly lessen the time and labor of securing the top in place on the pedestals or body structure as compared with the previous method of using more numerous. fastening screws or bolts and nuts whichwere necessary at least at the opposite or front andrear edges of the top, and required considerably more time and labor in operating them to secure the top in place.

quired isless than'the number of screwsor'bolts Since the number of fasteners 22, re-.

previously used, the expense of the additional screws or bolts and nuts needed is thus saved.

An additional advantage of the top securing means herein disclosed results from the employment of the front attaching bar l9 connecting the pedestals at their front portions. This permits the sub-assembly of the connected pedestals for each desk to be sent through the finishing department, spray booths as a unit, whereas formerly the pedestals were sent through the finishing department separately, requiring additional handling in the finishing and final assembly of the parts of the desks.

I claim as my invention:

lhAn, article, of furniture comprising a body, a top resting upon the upper face of said body, said body having on its top face a flange extending along one edge thereof with its outer edge spaced from said top face to form a channel opening horizontally and outwardly towards'said one edge, and also having on its top face anupstanding element along and spaced inwardly from that edge of the top which is opposite said one edge, said top having inturned horizontal flanges along its opposite marginal edges which correspond to said edges of the body, horizontally entering and fittingsaid channel beneath said body flange and the other top flange disposed along and abutting the outer face of said upstandin element which limits horizontal movement of said top in a direction to remove said one top flange from; said channel, a wedge key slidingly coupled to said body and'passing over a bearing on the upper face of said other top flange to confine it against the top ofsaid body,- said key having a notch therein, and a spring tongue projecting from said body into said notch in the direction in which the key moves into flange-.

extending flanges along its opposite edges that correspond to said opposite edges of ,said'body, one of said flanges extending into and fitting said outwardly opening channel to confine that edgeof the top to said body, flange extending along and abutting against the outside face of the outer side wall of said channel strip, to prevent removal of said one topflange from said horizontally opening channel, the side walls-of said channel strip having alinedapertures, and a wedge key slidable into said alined apertures into a position. over and abutting the upper face of said opposite top flangeto hold it against vertical movement.

3. An article of furniture such as a desk comprising a body, a top supported on the upper face of said body, the top face of said body having alon one edge thereof a horizontally and outwardly opening channel, and having adjacent; but spaced from its opposite edge an upright, U- shaped channel strip, with the channel opening upwardly and running parallel to said opposite edge, said top having inturned, horizontallyextending flanges along its oppositeedges that correspond to said opposite edges of said body, one.

of said flan es; e i t f i ein andfittin said;

one of said top flan esthe top face ofsaid body having the opposite inturned' 5 outwardly opening channel to confine that edge of the top to said body, the opposite inturned flange extending along and abutting against the outside face of the outer side wall of said channel strip, to prevent removal of said one top flange from said horizontally opening channel, the side walls of said channel strip having alined apertures, and a wedge key slidable into said alined apertures into a position over and abutting the upper face of said opposite topflange to hold it against vertical, movement, said key having a notch in its lower face and the bottom wall of said strip having an inclined tongue struck upwardly from the bottom of said strip and entering said notch, when the key is above said opposite top flange, to prevent retraction of the key.

JAMES R. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

